Signature effort fails in attempted repeal of California law protecting transgender students

NCTE Celebrates Failure of Attempt to Repeal CA School Success and Opportunity Act

Washington, DC - A final tally of collected signatures reaffirmed California voters' belief that all students, including transgender students, should succeed in school. Consistent with federal regulations, this law underscores school's mandate to ensure that all students have their needs met by school administrators and teachers.

The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) applauds the failure of the referendum effort but remains vigilant of legal challenges to the signature count. In response to this developing news, NCTE Executive Director Mara Keisling issued the following statement:

"We are very happy with today's outcome upholding the majority of Californians' belief that transgender students deserve a fair shot at doing well in school. School administrators and teachers in California had already been making the appropriate adjustments to achieve that even before this law took effect. And our view, along with the views of many parents, administrators and teachers in California, is that transgender kids should have the same education as all our kids. Doing that means making the right tweaks in school programs and functions so that transgender students can be who they are in schools without fear or limitation. NCTE celebrates this important step and we'll closely monitor legal challenges to the vote count as they develop."

For the law to qualify on the November 2014 ballot, 504,760 valid signatures were required, however only 487,484 were found to valid.